SmoothWall - Does it Block Google keyword searches ?

[2097]

Quick question , Does Smooth wall block google searches if they contain keywords that are not allowed ?

 

I always assumed it did because it pops up in my filter report and puts it in a category ( I.e. personal weapons)

 

I have tried some risky terms ( How to kill someone and get away with it ) but it doesnt bring up a block page. Obviously the results are filterd using google search and i imagine any of the pages that i click on will be blocked.

 

I just always assumed it blocked it before it even got to the results.

[tigerstar]

Yes, provided you set up HTTPS inspection (Google sites all default to HTTPS nowadays). It should also flag up safeguarding alerts if those are set up.

[Chaniel]

Smoothwall can do this, it all depends on your setup of web filter policies and HTTPS inspection policies.

 

https://kb.smoothwall.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002134764-Categorization-in-the-Smoothwall-Filter

 

https://kb.smoothwall.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001834579-Understanding-the-Reason-for-Blocking-Shown-on-the-Blockpage-How-Does-Smoothwall-Categorise-Content-

[ibpalle]

Blocks happen both due to search text and search results. HTTPS inspection needs to be active for this to work. If the safesearch via connect header content modification is enabled, safesearch results will be presented regardless of https inspection.

 

Sometimes simple searches do not provide enough context in the search text alone to trigger a block but the search results do trigger a block.

[2097]

My test machine was exempt from the HTTPS decrypt .. Sorted now .

 

We do have a issue though

 

In one of our daily reports it shows what a kid typed in, and it was blocked and listed in the report as a "personal Weapon".

 

2 hours later by the same pupil a slightly different phrase was inputted, seems it was blocked and categorized as a "Personal Weapon" like the previous but not listed in the daily report.

 

It only shows up if i run a manual report for the pupil.

 

Any one else had this problem ?

[ibpalle]

The Safeguarding activation is not done based solely on the web filter categorisation. In this case, either the search or the search results both had categorisation as personal weapons but only one triggered the criminal activity safeguarding category.

 

There was a thread about this a few weeks back:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/internet-related-filtering-firewall/217528-smoothwall-safeguarding-reports.html

[2097]

The Safeguarding activation is not done based solely on the web filter categorisation. In this case, either the search or the search results both had categorisation as personal weapons but only one triggered the criminal activity safeguarding category.

 

There was a thread about this a few weeks back:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/internet-related-filtering-firewall/217528-smoothwall-safeguarding-reports.html

 

Thank you. Explains it.